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Albany Bulb AG - E; *** ; 1.5+ miles; v? MORE INFO ABOUT THE STATE PARK
To visit in a wheelchair, it's important that you start at the end of the Bay Trail, and go west on the gravel track that hugs the south shore of the peninsula, which is a little rough, but has only one medium steep stretch where it reaches the "bulb." If instead you go north from the parking lot, through the gate and up to the middle of the wide section north of Buchanan Avenue, and try going west on the wide gravel trail along the top of the "neck" you will meet with very difficult steep and narrow spots (though I was able to get through, and enjoyed the views). The two routes meet at the bulb after about 0.5 mi., where you'll find a maze of footpaths. Many are wheelchair-passable, though some dead-end with no space to turn around. Bay views are here, but may be tricky to find due to tall foliage. Art works small and large seem to be around every bend. To see more art, bear north on the main track across the bulb, following the widest path as it drops steeply down towards the water, where good paths lead a few hundred feet in both directions among an assortment of found-object sculptures and somewhat weatherworn paintings. Here you may also see a variety of birds and wildflowers, and views across the water to three of the Bay's bridges.
Details: One Saturday afternoon I attempted to park and found NO accessible space on the west side of the freeway, so it's important to go early on fair weather weekends. The trailhead at Albany Bulb is at the west end of Buchanan Street in Albany, 0.5 mi. from Pierce Street, where AC Transit's #43 stops. The small parking lot, with no disabled spaces, was half full when we visited on a summer weekday. There's no curb cut at the west end of the parking area: go back fifty feet to get on the Bay Trail, which shortly turns to gravel but is otherwise unobstructed. No toilets accessible or otherwise are provided, and I didn't see benches anywhere on the Bulb, though here and there chunks of concrete or driftwood offer a place to perch. Last visit June 2007. |
If
you are up for some medium rough hard gravel, a couple of steep stretches,
and a lot of off-leash dogs, check out this "park." The Bulb
is a feral jungle, peopled with dozens of sculptures large and small
half hidden in thickets of fennel and coyote brush, sheltered under
an amazing variety of less common trees and shrubs, or set out on beaches
or on the chunks of concrete that shore up this peninsula of bay fill.
As of now, only the section north of Golden Gate Fields is part of the
Eastshore State Park and the Bay Trail, but the rest is being considered
for inclusion, a controversial proposal.
Using
my fast power chair I find it easy to get to the Bulb by taking the
pedestrian overpass from Berkeley, the Bay Trail 1.5 miles to Golden
Gate Fields, and the road behind GGF the last half mile to the trailhead
at Buchanan St. This involves climbing the hill behind the racetrack--twice!--which
might give a manual chair user pause. The Bay Trail on this stretch
parallels the frontage road and the freeway, and is mostly not close
to the water, but offers a look at the Berkeley Meadow, now part of
the Eastshore State Park. The Seabreeze Market near the west end of
the overpass provides food and coffee at outdoor tables , a location
that is unfortunately noisy with traffic.